Old butcher told me to stop washing my cutting boards with soap and he was right

This guy with 40 years at a shop in St. Louis said hot water and a scrape is all you need. I thought he was nuts but tried it for a month on my pork board. No cross contamination issues and the wood actually lasts way longer. Anyone else ditch the soap on their boards?

3 comments

3 Comments

nathan1001mo ago

My grandad ran a diner for 35 years and he'd wash his boards the exact same way. Hot water rinse, scrape with the flat edge of a knife, let them dry standing up. Never once had anyone get sick from his food. I switched my boards over about two years ago and it made a huge difference. The wood doesn't dry out and crack like it used to with soap. Makes total sense once you think about it, soap just strips the oils that keep the board healthy.

kai_webb911mo ago

Buddy of mine runs a food truck and used to go through cutting boards like crazy. Always scrubbing them with dish soap and hot water. Wood would split in a couple months. Then @nathan100 told him to try the hot water scrape method. He was skeptical, gave it a shot with his chicken prep board. That was over a year ago, same board still looks great. No issues with his health inspections either.

dixon.james1mo ago

Man I was the same way, always thought soap was a must. Tried it on my end grain board after reading something similar and yeah, wood's holding up way better now. Still scrub with salt and a lemon every now and then to be safe.